Valve



me 23, 1936- o. IJQ KUENHOLD VALVE Filed Nov. 10, 193].

INVENTOR Patented June 23, I936 oairro STATES PATENT orFicE:

VALVEII OttoJ. Kuenhold, ShakerHeights, Ohio Application November 10,.1931, SerialNo. 574,147 7 Claims; (01-, rev -1'53) My invention relates to a valve structure, and particularly, to a valve structure for controlling the flow of fluid. fuel to the burner .of a domestic heating plant or like apparatus- It is one object of my invention, to provide a fluid fuel control valve of the graduated action type with: the valve so constructed and the parts so arranged that the valve gate or closure element will automatically move to out oil the fluid fuel supply to the burner with a quick or relatively rapid action when the valve has been mechanically closed to a point where less fluid fuel" is passed tothe burner than, the burner can safely use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fluid fuel control valve so constructed and with parts so arranged that the gate or closure, after initiation of movement toward openposition, will move toa position witha quick or relatively rapid action to permit enough fluid fuel to pass to the burner so that the burnermay be promptly, completely and safely ignited from. an independent pilot burner, without backfiring or delayed ignition.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a fluid fuel control valve wherein the amount of fluid fuel supplied to a burner at which the valvegateor closure will move to complete closed position with a quick or relatively rapid action, as well as the amount of fiuid'fuel' passing to the burner when the gate, or closure moves to open position with a quick or relatively rapid action can each be separately adjusted.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fluid fuel control valve which, after being once adjusted, will completely cut off" the supply of fluid fuel to the burners with a quick or relatively rapid action when closed to such anextent that the fiame jets issuing from the burners are reduced to minimum safe height, regardless of whether one or more than one burner is in operation. That is, the complete snap action closure is not determined by a certain minimum volume of fluid fuel passed by the valve, but rather by a certain minimum volume of fluid'fuel per burner. The control valve is such as to automatically adjust itself, as to the-total volume of fluid fuel passed by the valve, according to the number of burners which may be in operation-at the time. This is accomplished byhaving the complete closure determined by the fluid fuel back pressure in the outlet chamber of the valve.

Various other objects ofmyinvention may be seen in the following descriptionand one embodiment of my invention may be seen in the acor for-msa part of a diaphragm ll.

.Fig.. 1;j and Fig. 3 is a view showing a modified form. of. the. lost motion connection in the valve operating. levers.

Inth'ekdrawing, I have, shown one embodiment ofmy'invention asco-mprising a valve consisting of. a, casing I. having a cover 2 therefor and secured thereto, by means of screw bolts, or the like, 3.. The, casing. IV is provided with a threaded open- 'ing 4 adapted to receive a fluid fuel inlet conduit SLandleading to an inlet chamber 6. Such casing is also provided with a threaded opening 1. adapted to-receive one end of a fluidfuel supply conduit 1" leading to burner elements (not shown) which provide a restricted fuel outlet and. p'rodl'icev back pressure in the outlet. chamber, ,theopening Heading from an outlet chamber 8 which extends over substantially the entire circumferential; area of the valve casing l. A port 'In accordance with my invention, a gate or closure lllis provided for the inlet port 9 and is adapted to open or close communication between. the, inlet chamber 6 and the outlet chamber 8 asdesiredand this gate or closure isattached to I This diaphragm provides a means for automaticallyopen- 'ing or closing communication between the inlet chamber 6 and outlet chamber .8 under certain fconditions, as will be hereinafter described. A mechanicalimeans is provided for movingthe gat'eor closure Ii] toward or away from the port 9' Which] consists of a stem I 2 attached to the diaphragm II that held between the coincidental surfaces l3 and M of the casing cover and casing when the parts are in assembled-relation as shown, and to the valve gate or closure l as shown in .Fig. 1. The uppermost end of the stem I2 is pivotally attached to an operating lever l as at l6, the operating lever l5 being operatively mountedonthe cover 2 as at IT and having ad- 'justablymounted thereon a weight l8 that may be--heldin any of a number of positions of; ad-

justment along the length of the operating-lever i5 bymeansof a set. screw I9 or the like.

' Suitablemeans is. also provided. for moving the-operatinglever. l5 about; the pivot I! to move the. valve. gate or closure l0- toward or away 19, connects. the fluid fuel inlet chamber 6' with fluid. fuel. outlet chamber 8.

2 from the port 9 which consists of an operating lever 29 having its lowermost end operatively connected with the free end of the operating lever l5 by means of a lost motion connection. As shown in Fig. 1, the lowermost end of the operating lever 20 is slotted as at 2|, the slotted portion being adapted to receive a pin 22 extending outwardly from the free end of the operating lever IS. A screw bolt 23 extends through the lowermost end of the operating rod 20 and has its free end disposed in the slotted portion 2i of the operating rod 20. Thus, a lost motion connection is provided between the operating rod 20 and the operating lever I5. The uppermost end of the operating rod 20 is pivotally connected as at 25 to one free end of a lever 26, pivotally mounted as at 21, the opposite end of the lever 26 being very slowly movable upwardly or downwardly by thermostatically operating means 29 disposed, in this instance, in conjunction with a furnace structure 30 that is diagrammatically shown.

In the operation of this valve structure, it will be noted that the diaphragm l l is exposed on its under side to the fluid fuel pressure existing in the outlet chamber 8 which extends under the entire diaphragm so that when the diaphragm is pushed downwardly it is resisted by the existing fluid fuel pressure in the fluid fuel outlet chamber 8. Of course, downward movement of the diaphragm II is accomplished by downward movement of the operating rod 20, and the operating lever l5 by operation of the lever 26 by the thermostatic control means 29, this downward movement of the diaphragm taking place when the condition of the furnace requires that the flow of fluid fuel to the burner elements (not shown) be reduced or cut off.

Downward movement of the diaphragm H and gate or closure iii which is attached thereto and the amount of fluid fuel flowing into the outlet chamber through the port 9 and hence reduces the fluid fuel pressure chamber and the port pressure against the fluid valve member or diaphragm ll. When the fluid fuel pressure in the outlet chamber 8 is reduced to a point where the total upward pressure against the floating valve member or diaphragm H is less than the downward force due to the weight of the valve member itself plus the, effect of the weight of the operating lever l5 and the adjustable weight IS, the floating valve member or diaphragm and the closure In move downwardly with a quick or relatively rapid action to instantly close off the communication between the inlet 6 and outlet 9 by closing the port 9. This sudden closure of the port 9 is permitted by the lost motion connection between the operating rod 29 and the operating lever l5 hereinbefore described. As soon as the communication between the inlet chamber 6 and outlet chamber 8 is closed off, the fluid fuel pressure in the outlet chamber 8 drops to zero as the fluid fuel is drained off to the burner which permits a tight closure of the inlet port 9 due to the weight of the mechanism on the gate or closure l0.

Reversely, when the operating rod 20 is moved upwardly by the action of the thermostatic control means 29, the lost motion between the operating rod 29 and operating lever I5 is first taken up, the weight of the valve mechanism holding the valve gate or closure ID against its seat on the port 9 to prevent communication between the inlet chamber 6 and the outlet chamber 8. Then,

vided for varying when the operating rod 20 has moved upwardly sufficiently to begin lifting of the operating lever l5 and hence the floating valve member or diaphragm H and gate or closure l0, fluid fuel rushes out into the outlet chamber 8 and instantly creates a pressure in the outlet chamber which is effective to lift the floating valve member or diaphragm ll, gate or closure 10, pin l2, and operating lever l5 upwardly as far as the lost motion connection hereinbefore described belever l5 and. the operating rod 29 will permit. This opens the port 9 sumciently to permit enough fluid fuel to pass through the outlet chamber 8 to the burner elements (not shown) to permit complete ignition of the burner elements from an independent pilot burner without backfire or delay in ignition. Of course, the extent of upward movement of the valve gate or closure In and cooperating parts by a quick or relatively rapid action may justment of the screw 23 to vary the degree of lost motion in the connection between the operating rod 29 and the operating lever l5.

As shown, a rigid plate 3| is provided above the diaphragm II to increase phragm upon which fluid fuel pressure can be effective to raise the diaphragm, it being essential that the effective area of the diaphragm multiplied by the fluid fuel back pressure at which the diaphragm is quickly or relatively rapid action to close the inlet port is equal to the weight of the diaphragm plus the effect of the adjustable weight I8, the

operating lever l5, and associated parts in mov- N ing the diaphragm downwardly, that is, the effective area of the diaphragm and hence the opposing weights must be in such relation to each other that the weights alone can hold the valve gate or closure I9 in closed position against any ordinary inlet pressure, otherwise quickly or relatively rapid action of the valve gate or closure will not be obtained.

My invention also contemplates the provision of means supplemental to the adjustable weight i8 hereinbefore in accordance with the amount of fluid fuel passing through the port 9, at which quickly or relatively rapid opening or closing of the gate or closure l0 takes place. As shown in Fig. 1, a port 32 is provided in which fluid fuel must pass from the outlet port 9 to the pipe I, and a valve 33 that may be moved into and out of proximity with the port 32 through the screw thread support 33a of its stem is proport 32 as will be readily apparent. Thus, a means is provided for increasing or decreasing the rate of escapement of fluid fuel from the outlet chamber 8 in proportion to the rate of flow of the fluid fuel through the inlet port 9 to the outlet chamber so that if it is desired to have the quickly or relatively rapid opening of the valve l0 taking place sooner or later after opening of the port 9 it is merely necessary to increase or decrease the size of the port 32 by adjustment of the valve 33. This adjustment together with adjustment hereinbefore described by the weight 18, provides a valve in which the quickly or relatively rapid action of the valve may to a very fine degree. In other words, this adjustment makes it possible to materially reduce the pressure at the burners as compared to the fuel pressure at the fuel inlet port.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, I have be controlled by adthe area of the diato move downwardly with a described for varying the time,

the outlet chamber 8 through I the degree of opening of the be regulated shown a modified form of lost'motionconnection between the operating lever l5 and the operating rod 2-0 In this figure, springs 34 and 35 are disposed in theslot 2-|- above and below thepin 22. respectively. One end. of the lowermost spring 35 rests in a cup carried by theset screw 23 whereby the-compressionon thesprings 34 and- 35-may be-varied as desired by adjusting the set screw 23'.

With this type of lost motion connection, assuming that the valve gate or closure I0 is seated to close oif the'inlet port 9, upward movement of the operatingrod to raisethe valve gate or closure will result in compression of the lowermost spring 35. Then, when the gate-or closure is raised sufiiciently to permit enough fiuidfuel to escape and exert a pressure on theunder side of the diaphragm l l', the pressure-on the underside of the diaphragm plus the expanding forceof the spring -will move the valve gate or closure upwardly with a quick or relatively rapid action. That is, with the assistance of the spring 35, the pressure on the under side of the diaphragm H need not be sogreat as when pressure alone is used.

Reversely, assuming the valve gate or closure in to be in full open position, downward movement of the operating rod-2ll-to move the gate or closure toward the inlet port 9 will result in compression of the spring 34 to store energy which, when the-fluid fuel escaping'from'theport 9 is reduced to a certain degree,- will, in thisinstance, incombination with the Weight l8 and lifting mechanism as previously described in connection with the closing movement of the valve, move the gate or closure toa closed 100* sition with a quick or relatively rapid action.

In the above construction, I have provided a valve structure, that is particularly adapted to 'the'control of fluid-fuel supply to a burner structure, which will automatically close off all fuel supply to the burner structure with a. quick or reatively rapid action when the normal fuel sup..-

ply-to the burner structure is lessthan is necessary to permit safe operation of the burnerswithoutdanger-of the flame jets being extinguished due to smothering or insufficient fuel supply. Likewise, the fluid fuel control valve structure is such that, immediately after initiation of opening movement of the valve gate or closure, this valvegate or-closure will move toopen position with-a quick or relatively rapid action far enough to permit sufiicient fluid fuel to flow to the burner structure so that the burners may be ignited from an independent pilot burner without backfire or delayed ignition. Various other advantageous features will be readily apparent.

What I claim is:

1. A valve structure, comprising a valve casing having a gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, inter-communication of which is efiected by a port therebetween, a movable abutment in said casing and constituting a closure for said port, said abutment being of greater area than said port and also constituting at least a part of a wall of said outlet chamber, the gas pressure on one face of said abutment constituting a varying force biasing said abutment for movement in port-opening direction, means constituting a constant force biasing said abutment for movement in port-closing direction, said constant biasing force being greater than the force of the gas pressure against that portion of said abutment which constitutes a closure for said port, and mechanical means having a lost motion connection therein and operatively conmeans, one-of said abutment biasing forces preponderates over-'the other and said preponderating force, bytaking up'the lost motion inv said movement of said abutment relative to said port.

2. A valve structure, comprising a valve casing having a gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, inter-communication of which is effected by: a port therebetween, a movable abuting a: varying force biasing said abutmentfor movement in port-opening direction, means con..- stituting a constant force biasing said. abutment for movement in-port-closing direction, said conport, and mechanical means having a lost mo tion connection therein and. operatively connected with said abutment for effecting, when actuated, limited port-opening movement of said abutment, and means for actuating said: mechanical means, the parts being so: constructed and arranged that when limited. port-opening movementof said abutment has been effectedby actuation of: said mechanical means, the'biasing force of said gas pressure is increased. sufiiciently: to preponderate over said other biasing force and said preponderating gas pressure force, by taking up the lost motion in said mechanical 7 complete port-opening movement of' said abutment.

3; A valve structure, comprising a. valve case ing having a. gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, inter-communication. of which is effected by a port herebetween, amovable abutother biasing force preponderates thereover and said preponderating force, by taking up the lost motion in said mechanical means, is effective to complete port-closing movement of said abutment.

4. A valve structure, comprising a valve casing having a gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, inter-communication of which is effected by a port therebetween, a movable abutment in said casing and constituting a closure for said port, said abutment being of greater area than said port and also constituting at least a part of a. wall of said outlet chamber, the gas pressure on one face of said abutment constituting a varying force biasing said abutment for movement in port-opening direction, means constituting a constant force biasing said abutment for movement in port-closing direction, said constant biasing force being greater than the force of the gas pressure against that portion of said abutment which constitutes a closure for said port, and mechanical means having a lost motion connection therein and operatively connected with said abutment for efiecting, when actuated, limited port-opening movement and limited port-closing movement of said abutment, and means for actuating said mechanical means, the parts being so constructed and arranged that when limited port-opening movement of said abutment has been effected by actuation of said mechanical means, the biasing force of said gas pressure is increased sufficiently to preponderate over said other biasing force and said preponderating gas pressure force, by taking up the lost motion in said mechanical means, is effective to complete portopening movement of said abutment, and when port-closing movement of said abutment has been effected by actuation of said mechanical means, the biasing force of said gas pressure is so reduced that said other biasing force preponderates thereover and said preponderating force, by taking up the lost motion in said mechanical means, is efiective to complete port-closing movement of said abutment.

5. A valve structure, comprising a valve casing having a gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, inter-communication of which is effected by a port therebetween, a movable abutment in said casing and constituting a closure for said port, said abutment being of greater area than said port and also constituting at least a part of a wall of said outlet chamber, the gas pressure on one face of said abutment constituting a varying force biasing said abutment for movement in port-opening direction, means constituting a constant force biasing said abutment for movement in port-closing direction, said constant biasing force being greater than the force of the gas pressure against that portion of said abutment which constitutes a closure for said port, and mechanical means having an adjustable lost motion connection therein and operatively connected with said abutment for effecting, when actuated, limited movement of said abutment relative to said port, and means for actuating said mechanical means, the parts being so constructed and arranged that when limited movement of said abutment relative to said port has been effected by actuation of said mechanical means, one of said abutment biasing forces preponderates over the other and said preponderating force, by taking up the lost motion in said mechanical means, is effective to continue such movement of said abutment relative to said port.

'6. A valve structure, comprising a valve casing having a gas inlet chamber and a gas outlet chamber, inter-communication of which is effected by a port therebetween, a movable abutment in said casing and constituting a closure for said port, said abutment being of greater area than said port and also constituting at least a part of a wall of said outlet chamber, the gas pressure on one face of said abutment constituting a varying force biasing said abutment for movement in port-opening direction, means constituting a constant force biasing said abutment for movement in port-closing direction, said constant biasing force being greater than the force of the gas pressure against that portion of said abutment which constitutes a closure for said port, and mechanical means having a yieldable 10st motion connection therein and operatively connected with said abutment for effecting, when actuated, limited movement of said abutment relative to said port, and means for actuating said mechanical means, the parts being so constructed and arranged that when limited movement of said abutment relative to said port has been effected by actuation of said mechanical means, one of said abutment biasing forces preponderates over the other and said preponderating force, by taking up the lost motion in said mechanical means, is efiective to continue such movement of said abutment relative to said port.

'7. A structure as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the lost motion connection of said mechanical means is of the pin and slot type and in opposite sides of said pin for yieldable engagement therewith.

OTTO J. KUENHOLD.

that spring means are arranged on 

